SEATTLE (Feb. 11) – Seattle University women’s basketball cruised by UMKC, 74-52, Saturday afternoon. The Redhawks improved to 8-1 in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) with the Play4Kay win at the Connolly Complex.

Playing in front of a season-high 652 fans, Seattle U (11-13, 8-1 WAC) continued its string of terrific play in the WAC. It shot 55.4 percent from the field and outscored the ‘Roos, 19-0, in transition. Alexis Montgomery recorded her sixth double-double of the season with 22 points and 10 rebounds.

“I thought we broke their press and played downhill,” said Coach Suzy Barcomb. “We talked about playing with passion today. Bringing some joy (to the cancer survivors in attendance) on a Saturday is good thing.”

After a seesaw first quarter that ended with UMKC (6-17, 1-9 WAC) up, 16-15, the Redhawks yanked control of the contest with a 10-0 run to start the second period. Montgomery grabbed a rebound and then scored to give the hosts the lead with 8:12 left in the half. Afunugo followed with a lay-in and then Best drained a trey. A Metoyer triple gave Seattle U a 25-16 margin at the 5:44 mark, as UMKC called timeout to try to slow the rally.

The visitors scored next, but Best continued the three-point party with another trey at the 3:17 mark. The ‘Roos briefly closed the gap, but a Best basket made it 32-20 with 1:45 to go. UMKC then scored twice to get within eight at the break.

Afunugo opened the second half with a layup, sparking a 12-1 run that gave the Redhawks a comfortable margin for the duration. Best scored inside and then Montgomery sank a jumper. Another Afunugo hoop made it 40-24 with 7:53 to play, resulting in a ‘Roo timeout. Kamira Sanders finished a transition layup to expand the difference. The visitors finally made a free throw to break their drought, but an Ashlyn Lewey steal set up a Montgomery breakaway lay-in that made it 44-25 at the 6:03 mark. Lewey followed with a jump shot, and after a pause in offense, Best broke away with a steal and a layup, giving SU a 48-30 lead through three periods.

In the fourth frame, UMKC went to a full-court press, allowing the Redhawks to show off their open-court skills. Seattle U hit 4-5 three-pointers in the quarter, assisting on seven of nine made field goals. The ‘Roos cut their deficit 48-36 with 7:54 left, but Best stepped in a fast break triple and drilled it, regaining control for the home side. Montgomery and Lewey followed with treys in short order, all but icing the decision. Afunugo and Best scored in the paint later in the period, and then Montgomery banged a three and finished a breakaway lay-in, capping her terrific day.

Montgomery totaled 22 points on 10-15 shooting. She collected 10 boards and 7 assists, along with a block and a steal. She now has five double-doubles in WAC play. Best contributed 19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and a pair of steals. Afunugo tallied 13 points and 4 boards off the bench, while Metoyer had another strong floor game, putting up 8 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocked shots, and a steal.

As a unit, SU shot 31-56 (55.4 percent) from the floor. It hit 8-19 (42.1 percent) from downtown. The Redhawks outscored UMKC, 22-8, off turnovers.

In the opening frame, Metoyer sank a three to open scoring at the 8:34 mark. After a ‘Roo hoop, Metoyer scored again for a 5-2 lead. UMKC answered with a bucket, but Montgomery followed with a jumper with 6:52 remaining in the quarter. A Wilma Afunugo layup stretched the lead and then Montgomery pulled down and rebound, went to the other end and scored to make it 11-4. The visitors went on a run to close the period, as Kristen Moore and Paige Husa teamed up to lead UMKC to a one-point edge after 10 minutes.

The game marked SU’s annual Play4Kay game, as donations went to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. The Redhawks wore special pink warm-up shirts to honor the occasion.

Seattle U heads out for its final road trip of the regular season next weekend, playing at Grand Canyon (Feb. 16) and CSU Bakersfield (Feb. 18) in a pair of WAC contests.

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